The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has noticed a recent increase in local phone scams across the country with callers intending to steal money or identities by impersonating the IRS. The callers have even threatened to arrest the individuals or revoke their driver’s license. Follow up calls have been known to occur in which the callers impersonate the local police department or the state motor vehicle department in order to gain the individuals’ cooperation. Due to the high increase and variations in these phone scams, awareness is extremely important.

• Some characteristics to be aware of in these phone scams include:
• Use of fake names and IRS badge numbers
• General or common names being used to identify themselves
• The ability to state the last four digits of your Social Security Number
• Imitation of the IRS toll-free number on your caller ID

More information on the characteristics to be aware of can be found at irs.gov.

Protect yourself and avoid becoming a victim to one of these phone scams. Be especially cautious of unexpected IRS communication at the beginning of tax season. The IRS does not request passwords or confidential information for credit cards or bank accounts. Additionally, the IRS will never require immediate payment or a specific form of payment.

If you suspect that you are a victim of an IRS phone scam or have additional questions or concerns, please contact your Somerset advisor.